


The Luxury of Choice

by AnayaahWrites



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Not Canon Compliant - Bleach Chapter 686 - Death & Strawberry, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Song: Lost One no Goukoku | The Lost One's Weeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:27:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25011613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnayaahWrites/pseuds/AnayaahWrites
Summary: When the Soul King decides to express his gratitude to our favourite boy for his selflessness by offering him his future, what choice will Ichigo make?
Relationships: Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo
Kudos: 23





	The Luxury of Choice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, it's been a while~~
> 
> So, while boredom struck me like lightening in this quarantine, it seemed to strike my phone too ㅠㅠ
> 
> And while my phone wouldn't work, I was forced to go through my old files and see which ones to keep and which to delete.
> 
> I found this wonderful plot hidden in my notes, an unwritten fic because I couldn't put my emotions into words back then hehe.
> 
> Also, quarantine has my writing skills dying on me, so I'm sorry if it's all unpolished •
> 
> Stay safe out there y'all!!!

** The Luxury of Choice. **

The only thought in Ichigo's mind as he lay in the endlessly dark hall was, _'what now?'_

And you would think so too, assuming you'd defeated your greatest enemy, Ywach and subsequently finding yourself in what looked like another dimension.

So, was he dead?

It had crossed his mind but then well... He was already a soul so it wouldn't really make sense.

Then, where was he?

Ichigo bounced to his feet, trying to locate a way out , his footsteps the only sound of accompaniment as far as he could tell.

_"Welcome, Hero of Two Worlds,"_

He stilled at the sound, cautiously looking from side to side for the voice that didn't seem to come from any particular direction.

Ichigo frantically grasped at his shoulder for his sword, pulling at his Shihakusho in the hopes of finding anything to arm himself with.

All in vain, surprisingly.

" _Fret not,_ " it spoke again, quieter than before and somehow much more... _welcoming_?

" _You are in my palace, Oh Great Hero and I am your King."_

Quite a haughty claim that was. (And pretty cheesy, at that.)

"What King, I haven't heard of-"

Then it struck him.

"Wait so, you're that damned Soul King?!"

He guffawed as his ethereal form descended into view, sitting on his throne ornated with jewels the likes of which Ichigo had never seen.

" _In flesh and blood_."

Scratching his head, Ichigo sat down cross-legged before him, considering his situation.

"Okay, I don't know what I did that brought me here, but if I'm being punished I'll have you know I don't obey anyone. Just sayin'."

" _Punished_?" The king repeated, amused at his assumption.

" _Quite o_ _n the contrary, I have summoned you in gratitude for your unhindered selflessness."_

Ichigo quirked his eyebrows in disbelief.

_Gratitude_ wasn't a sentiment he was particularly used to, nor one he knew how to react to.

"Well then... you're welcome, I guess?"

This boy, that stood before him in a half torn Shihakusho, his brightly coloured hair stained a deep red, was as awkward as any other.

Yet he had managed a feat not many could in his stead.

His sacrifices were deserving of a reward.

" _Kurosaki Ichigo, Hero of the Two Worlds_ ,"

"For God's sake, stop calling me that..."

_"I have foreseen what is to come to you in your future,"_ The King declared.

Ichigo chose to listen quietly, inquisitive as he always was, yet skeptical as they come.

" _And the same as your fate has tied you to two worlds till now, so it does too in your future. But, there is a fork in the path I see, where you must foresake one for the other."_

"What is that supposed to mean, old man?"

_"There is only one path you can take and I give you the luxury of choice with a full knowledge of what shall come. That, my Son, is my reward to you."_

"Choose between two worlds?"

How many more times did he have to do that?

Ichigo had begun to think he was a hamster in a wheel, running round in circles and without realising it, reaching the same point over and over again.

" _Precisely. I will give you two choices and you may choose as you so wish. I will, without question give you the life you desire."_

Ichigo nodded wordlessly, quite shaken by the idea of having to give up something again, in return for the other.

_"Now then, shall we begin?"_

Sudden images flooded Ichigo's mind, his marriage to a maiden with hair a shade lighter than his own,(an older Orihime he guessed), the laughter of his unborn child and the smiles of his family and friends around him.

"That is your first choice, child. Your family, your friends and a child with your beloved friend."

He loved the thought of that, Ichigo mused.

He'd have his family, his friends, he'd probably make a good father too but-

"Where's Rukia?"

The king had predicted this question would arise, but was sure it wouldn't matter either way.

_What was the life of one soul before an entire lifetime of joy?_

" _You will never see her again, along with the rest of Soul society. That is the bargain."_

"And my other option?"

_Dissatisfaction_ , he observed in Ichigo, even though in his eyes, it seemed beyond perfect.

Nevertheless, he laid out the second option.

Ichigo saw them running through woods, himself and Rukia hand in hand this time, her sweet scent planting roses in his chest as the world before them remained a battlefield.

Around him were familiar faces, squad captains, vice captains, vizards and other comrades all under the dusky sky of Seireitei.

He revelled in the feeling it gave him, a sense of power, and even as enemies rained down from the sky, all he felt was an overwhelming sense of joy.

"So, I either take a life back home on Earth with my family, without ever seeing Rukia or choose a life of fighting alongside my comrades without seeing my family again?"

The King nodded in agreement.

" _Now choose, my boy. Which shall it be?"_

Ichigo knew when he picked his sword up again after losing his powers once, that it was a commitment for a lifetime, that there was no going back.

He knew and so did the people closest to him, that time and time again, whenever push came to shove, _he'd chose her over everything else._

"Are you kidding? Is there even a choice in this?"

The King laughed, beckoning him to give his answer, confident in his decision.

"I'll take the second, thank you very much."

A moment of silence turned into two as the King remained astounded by his answer.

"Yo King-san, cat got ya' tongue?"

_"You choose the... second one?"_

"That's what I said, didn't I?"

He blinked in surprise, baffled by the very thought.

Murmuring a quick _'alright, as you so wish_ ' , he waved his hand in the air, opening a vent back to Ichigo's world.

_"I shall grant your wish, but purely out of curiosity, allow me to ask you,"_

He knew a union like this was never possible again and be he a king or not, curiosity would get to him the same as any other.

" _When I can promise you a life of eternal peace and calm, without suffering nor agony, why then, would you choose to forego a home to suffer in sin?"_

Ichigo shrugged, looking over his shoulder to justify his abnormal choice in such a matter-of-fact manner, that the King doubted himself for a second.

"Home, doesn't have to be a fully furnished house, ya know."

"You could have the most beautiful house, the prettiest wife and the best job, but still not be at peace."

Zangetsu materialized on his back as he spoke, the winds of his world bringing back his faithful companion.

"On the other hand, you could just have a satchel and a stick and be the happiest you've ever been."

"And you know what realising that taught me?"

He'd lost a lot throughout his life, friends, family, his mother and in those moments of weakness, no four walls could soothe his pain.

"That ' _home_ ' doesn't have to be a place; that as long as you're comfortable when you're there and that no matter what happens,"

The day he saved Rukia from the Sougyoku stand flashed before his eyes, where for once he had the power to save a loved one from their wretched fate and how victorious it felt to finally hold her in his arms again, so much so that he never wanted to let go.

"You can always call it ' _home_ '."

Those were quite some words from a child some thousand years younger than him.

"And besides, beautiful words like _eternal peace and calm_ never suited me anyway."

With a final salute goodbye, his silhouette vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but his essence in the palace and the Soul King marvelled at the Child's decision.

_Truly one in a million._

* * *

"Oi! What were you doing zoning out amidst a fight, Ichigo? What if you got hurt, moron!"

He opened his eyes to Rukia, her shihakusho sliced open at the shoulder, dry blood staining the white fabric of her haori as she kneeled beside him in concern.

Had he been dreaming? He couldn't even remember where he was a second ago, all he knew was his head felt like it had been cracked open.

Yet there was this _constant_ nagging voice in there, saying that he'd forgotten something really important.

Seeking comfort, he wrapped himself around Rukia whose obviously much smaller form fell into his arms with a thud.

Though perplexed, she patted his back in worry.

"Hey, what's the matter. Is everything alright?"

"Hey, Rukia?"

She hummed into his chest, listening to the beat that tickled her ear, thumping slowly and softly, like a ticking clock.

"I promise to always chose you, okay? No matter what, over heaven and hell."

Ichigo himself didn't know where it was coming from, just that he needed to get it off his chest in that moment.

"You already made that vow 6 years ago, you idiot.." Rukia mumbled, blushing into his chest though she'd never admit it in a million lifetimes.

"I did?"

She punched him in retaliation(How she could never gauge her strength always amazed him).

It wasn't the first time he'd teased her since their very embarrasing wedding day, where Ichigo insisted they read their catholic vows, like his mom and dad before them.

" ' _To have and to hold,from this day forward,_

_for better, for worse,_

_for richer, for poorer,_

_in sickness and in health, until death do us part_ '...right?"

He chuckled at her red face, guiding her as she reached up to meet his lips in what he could only refer to as a _euphoric_ kiss.

"Rukia?" He gently rested his forehead against hers, her laboured breath fanning his face and his happiness knew no bounds.

" ** _I'm home_**."

* * *

It takes a certain type of person to endure a life of suffering with a smile, the Soul King thought to himself having had watched the boy live his wish, never once complaining through the pain, taking everyday as it came.

**_And a true hero, Kurosaki Ichigo, was exactly that certain type of person._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Leave it up to Kurosaki Ichigo to stun even the Soul King xD 
> 
> I really hope you like it and just out of pure curiosity, which one would you choose? 
> 
> A lifetime with the one you love with an uncertain future or marrying a friend with your family, friends around you forever?
> 
> Let me know (Also don't forget to review hehe. ) Love y'all <3


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